Trump: “The planes were already in the air, they asked us to stop the strikes”

The United States military struck numerous targets in southern Iran overnight, between Wednesday and Thursday. The purpose of the strikes was to increase pressure on Tehran as part of talks toward an agreement. Trump told Fox News that he had spoken with senior Iranian officials and stopped the strikes at their request, while Iranian media denied that such a conversation took place. Trump also threatened that if “Iran does not sign the agreement, we will bomb the hell out of them.”

In the Fox News interview, Trump said American fighter jets flew over Iran, indicating continuing military pressure on Tehran alongside diplomatic efforts to contain the escalation. He added that Iranian officials had contacted him directly and asked him to stop the bombing, without revealing who those officials were or the nature of the contacts between the two sides.

The U.S. military confirmed that commercial vessels continue to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as normal, despite previous Iranian threats to close the strait and attack any ship trying to pass through it, and said that “Iran’s claims of an attack against American warships in the Strait of Hormuz are unfounded.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said overnight that its forces completed a wave of strikes against multiple targets inside Iran, carried out under the direct direction of President Donald Trump. The operation took place as part of what Washington describes as “self-defense,” following the military campaign launched in response to recent Iranian attacks against American forces and interests in the region. The strikes targeted Iranian monitoring sites and communications systems, as well as air defense sites across Iran. The U.S. military also said it struck “Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial vessels.”

The U.S. president’s remarks came after a series of strikes by American forces against military targets in southern Iran, including air defense sites, radar facilities, command and control centers, and units involved in operating drones. Iran responded to the American attacks by striking U.S. targets in countries in the region. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said they destroyed, using ballistic missiles, a base in Jordan where American fighter jets are stationed. They also said they attacked bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s central military command said any vessel trying to pass through would be attacked. The navy of the Revolutionary Guards reported attacking two ships that tried to do so. In U.S. Central Command, the claims were denied.

Trump confirmed that Israel did not take part in the strikes against Iran, denying any direct Israeli involvement in the recent military actions. The statement comes as Israel has raised its alert level in preparation for any possible Iranian response, amid concerns about a wider regional confrontation.

Trump’s statements reflect the continued American approach of combining military and diplomatic pressure on Iran. While Washington says it is prepared to continue military operations, the American administration continues to speak about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Tehran. The U.S. president’s remarks about an Iranian request to stop the bombing, and the possibility of halting the operations soon, may indicate that active communication channels exist between the two sides, despite the military confrontation the region has seen in recent hours. With U.S. military flights continuing over Iran and threats being exchanged between the two sides, attention remains focused on whether the ongoing contacts will lead to a temporary calm or a broader agreement that would end one of the most dangerous crises the Middle East has seen in recent years.